It is generally recognized that head injuries are some of the most serious and potentially life threatening type of injuries that may occur. These types of injuries may occur in a wide variety of sports and activities. Increasing concern for safety has resulted in the development of specialized helmets for various activities, such as motorcycling, automobile competitions, and bicycling. However, there are many other activities that may pose some risk of head injury to participants wherein helmets have not been universally accepted in those activities. Examples of such include water sports, such as surfboarding, windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, river rafting, and the like. These are activities in which protective headgear could be used to prevent or minimize injuries to a wearer's head. Surfboarding, sailing and windsurfing are specific examples of water sports in which a person may benefit from wearing appropriate protective headgear.
In particular, sailing and other boating activities are activities in which a safety helmet could prove to be especially valuable. While sailing in particular, and boating in general, are quite safe sports, there is nevertheless some chance that serious head injury may occur. The boom of a typical sailing vessel sweeps an arc relatively close to the deck, to provide as much sail area and efficiency as possible. While all sailors are aware of the boom, and the arc through which it travels when the boat comes about, it can nevertheless catch a person off guard at times, and may possibly result in serious injury. Even a blow that renders a person unconscious, but does no other damage, can be fatal in sailing if the person is knocked overboard, even with appropriate flotation gear, as the person may not be able to keep their head clear of the water. In addition to the mainsail boom of the typical sailboat, there are a large number of lines and other rigging which may occasionally come loose, and it can be difficult for even an experienced sailor to remain clear of all such rigging in all directions at all times. Accordingly, protective headgear can help prevent these types of injuries
In addition, water activities are often done in bright sunlight, especially in tropical climates. After an extended period without a visor or other sun shield, a person's eyes may become sore and suffer from a number of conditions such as pterygium. One solution has been to wear a standard cap having a cap piece and bill. However, due to the temperatures on the water, especially in tropical climates, a standard cap may become unbearable to wear due to the build-up of heat. In addition, a standard cap offers little protection from swinging booms or other equipment that may strike the wearer during participation in the water activity.
A wide variety of protective head gear comprising features for protecting a user's head, eyes and ears is available, but it is generally unsatisfactory for use in water sports. For example, a football helmet comprises a hard, rigid shell with an interior padding and/or webbing for absorbing blows to a wearer's head. The shell typically is displaced from the wearer's forehead and thus provides a degree of visor-like protection to the wearer's eyes from the effects of sunlight.
While providing head, eye and ear protection, the football helmet, even without its mask, is unsuitable for use in water sports for a number of reasons. For example, a football helmet, like similar types of headgear, is bulky and heavy. The shell does not fit snugly about a wearer's head, but is retained on the wearer's head by a chin strap. If worn by a surfer, the force of water against the interior surface of the shell during a fall acting against the holding force of the chin strap could produce considerable stress and strain on the wearer's neck. Moreover, since such helmets generally are enclosed, there is insufficient ventilation to relieve the build-up of heat under the helmet, making the helmet uncomfortable to wear, especially in tropical climates.
A majority of other types of head gear that provide, such as, for example, helmets worn by motorcyclists, baseball players, bicyclists, skateboarders, racquetball players and the like, all suffer from one or more of the above-described disadvantages of a football helmet if worn by a person engaged in water sports.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a protective helmet cap having improved ventilation. It would also be beneficial to provide a protective helmet cap that may be easily adjusted to block wind and sun based upon the direction of the wind and sun during participation in a water sport. It would also be beneficial to provide a protective helmet cap that is easy to put on and/or take off.